• Go for a walk in the park, around the neighborhood or on a trail.
Try hiking in a park with hills and rocks. It will be so much fun; the
kids won't even know they are exercising!

• Take you kids to the playground. They will get tons of exercise
running around a playground and you can join them!

• Play a game of hopscotch.

• Take a family bike ride together.

• Go roller-skating or ice-skating. It's great exercise as long
as moms and dads can keep from falling on their bums!

• Swimming is great exercise and fun for everyone. If the weather
is cold, try finding an indoor pool to go to.

• Jump on a trampoline. Yes, moms and dads can jump too! Trampolines
are lots of fun and provide quite a workout. Don't be surprised if you
are sore the next day.

• Introduce jumping rope to your child. You can even teach them
some of those little rhymes you use to sing while jumping rope as a kid.

• Go bowling, believe it or not, bowling provides some physical
exercise and can be a family event.

• If you have a pet, have your child take the dog for a walk or
throw the ball to the dog in the yard.

• Go snow skiing, sledding or tubing during the winter. It's great
exercise during those cold months.

• Have your kids help you in the garden. Some kids love gardening
while others might not. This provides some low-impact exercise for all
involved.

• How about a game of tag or hide-and-seek? This is great fun and
great exercise for everyone. You can play outside or even indoors during
bad weather.

• Put on some music and everyone dance! The kids will love it and
get a few laughs out of some of your dance moves!

• Get out the squirt guns! Run, run, run and try to squirt everyone
and keep from getting squirted. Kids plus squirt guns equals fun and
exercise.

• Try throwing a ball or Frisbee. This provides great exercise
with all the running and catching.

• Plan a good old-fashioned family basketball, baseball, or football
game.

Just by simply playing outside instead of being stuck in front of the
television set provides children with exercise. Be sure to keep the kids
well hydrated and practice good eating habits as well. Eating a dozen
cookies after a hike kind of defeats the purpose!

Some other ways to get your kids to exercise is to sign them up for
karate lessons or another sporting activity such as soccer, horseback
riding, cheerleading or basketball. Find out what peaks their interest
and go from there.

Top Ten Reasons to
Use Parenting Plan Mediation in Divorce

1. The best predictor of the well being of children involved in a divorce
is the amount of conflict between parents. In mediation, conflicts are
more likely to be resolved, resulting in a more peaceful post-divorce
family life.

2. Mediation helps parents create truly thoughtful and child-focused
parenting plans that are tailor-made to suit their children’s changing
emotional, developmental and temperamental needs as well as the family’s
schedule.

3. By thinking through and discussing the parenting plan, possible problems
can be identified and resolved before the final judgment is entered by
the court.

4. Mediation creates opportunities for parents to work together and
build on their strengths as they redefine the parental unit within the
family. Parents who can model good conflict resolution skills for their
children raise children with better conflict resolution skills.

5. A detailed parenting plan sends a message between the parents and
others, including the children, new partners, school and court personnel
that parenting is an important priority for both parents, even if one
parent assumes more hands-on time with the children.

6. A detailed and thorough parenting plan pre-empts back and forth, ‘He
Said/She Said,’ arguments if differing views of the co-parenting
history emerge.

7. Agreements, including modifications, create a record, or ‘paper
trail,’ of what was mutually agreed to when one or both parties
were thinking more clearly about the issues involved in successful and
co-operative co-parenting.

8. A detailed parenting plan sets forth a method to resolve differences
without going to court in case you need to modify the parenting plan
when things change, or if new partners, or reluctant children, want to
unilaterally change the plan.

9. When co-parents deviate from the parenting plan and then fall into
disagreement, a detailed parenting plan provides a useful backup plan
until they return to mediation.

10. Mediation provides both parents with the opportunity to explore
co-parenting issues with an objective third-party neutral who is a professional
trained in children’s developmental needs and is knowledgeable
about the research on children’s adjustment to separation and divorce.

Diana Mercer, Esq. is an Attorney-Mediator and the founder of Peace Talks
Mediation Services in Los Angeles, California (http://www.peace-talks.com).
A veteran litigator, she now devotes her practice solely to mediation.
Outgoing and down-to-earth, she makes clients and attorneys feel at ease
in solving litigation disputes in civil cases, from divorces to employment
law and real estate. She is the co-author of Your Divorce Advisor: A Lawyer
and a Psychologist Guide You Through the Legal and Emotional Landscape
of Divorce (Fireside 2001). She’s an Advanced Practitioner Member
of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) and is admitted to practice
law in California, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and before the United
States Supreme Court.

Wallerstein's Divorce Study
As a licensed mental health professional, I work with many individuals, couples,
and families who are affected by divorce. I see the devastating effects that
breakups can have and am dedicated to helping people develop the skills to
cope with experiences like divorce.

More Articles from Children
Family & Parenting Magazine

Mediation is a mandatory process in California that must take place before a
contested issue regarding custody and visitation is heard in a litigated hearing.
Mediation has a specific purpose and mediators should adhere to certain guidelines
and standards when conducting mediation.

We all shudder when the thought of spending thousands of
dollars in less than a week crosses our minds. Of course we should
feel this way, especially if we are unsure of the hotel accommodations
we have made, or the destination we have picked.

The
law regarding child custody varies from state to state leaving no uniform legal
position regarding what is in the best interest of the child. Some states have
a preference and presumption towards joint custody while others do not.

It is equally important to
down-play any attempt to make the other parent look unfit. This is not to say
that one should not point out the faults of the other person but this should
not become the focal point of your argument.

Child custody factors for each state are based on "The best interests of the
child".

Child
Custody Help
Many parents look for child custody help when trying to draft their parenting
agreement. It's hard to try and take into
account all the things you will be faced with in your child's life, particularly
if you divorce when your children are very young.